Goldust = Most Underrated Gimmick Ever?

[James Greiga]

First off let's get something straight. I am not talking about the Goldust today. I am not talking about the jobber of the past five years and I'm not talking about the stuttering comic relief of 10 years ago. And I am definitely not talking about The Artist formerly known as Goldust. I am talking about the original gimmick for Goldust. The Bisexual Transvestite/Hollywood Superstar Wannabe that was at one point the biggest heel in the company.

Now for those of you who are too young to have actually witnessed the great Goldust in action, here are a few links for his pre-debut vignettes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1hK-oxxiE8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwCbfjK0MJM

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xiaiae_goldust-pre-debut-vignette-3-1995_sport

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xiaiax_goldust-pre-debut-vignette-4-1995_sport

Goldust was not only innovative but he pushed boundaries. He was getting massive crowd heat and was being gearing for being a top main eventer. His promo skills were unmatched and if you really watched them they seemed like a more theatrical version of a Jake Roberts promo. They were done with such finesse and eloquence that he truly made you believe he was that character. He was extremely committed to his character as well and he accomplished in one night what most heels can't do in years. He became the business's most hated wrestler.

It was only dropped because of backstage heat. He took the role so seriously that most guys refused to work with him despite his wife being his on-screen valet. His Wrestlemania match with Roddy Piper was one of the most interesting matches I have ever seen. I mean how many times do you get to see a car chase in the middle of a match? His Wrestlemania match with HHH was great too. Especially the way Chyna just destroyed his wife, Marlena. Then today for them to completely ignore that portion of his career is ridiculous. I guess it's added to the list of ignored WWE gimmicks right up there with HHH's run as the Connecticut Blue Blood and the whole American Bad Ass Undertaker run. Nowadays you have to have actually lived through that time to have any real respect for the Goldust gimmick. The most underrated gimmick ever

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

The guy who plays the gimmick is underrated. The whole Rhodes family just seems very good at getting gimmicks over. You give that gimmick to anyone else and it probably falls flat. Mannerisms, ways of talking, incorporating the gimmick into every move, gesture, and breath you take. That's what he did/does.

 

[James Greiga]

The guy who plays the gimmick is underrated. The whole Rhodes family just seems very good at getting gimmicks over. You give that gimmick to anyone else and it probably falls flat. Mannerisms, ways of talking, incorporating the gimmick into every move, gesture, and breath you take. That's what he did/does.

I understand that but I was more so talking about the gimmick itself. I mean everyone seems to respect Dustin Runnels but when they hear Goldust they envision the jobber/comic relief we've seen of recent years not the force to be reckoned with in the mid-90's. I would have actually preferred Taker vs. Goldust than Taker vs. Sid at WM considering Sid wasn't the best worker and Goldust and Taker had really good chemistry. I just think that Goldust was more than a joke and deserving of so much more.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

I understand that but I was more so talking about the gimmick itself. I mean everyone seems to respect Dustin Runnels but when they hear Goldust they envision the jobber/comic relief we've seen of recent years not the force to be reckoned with in the mid-90's. I would have actually preferred Taker vs. Goldust than Taker vs. Sid at WM considering Sid wasn't the best worker and Goldust and Taker had really good chemistry. I just think that Goldust was more than a joke and deserving of so much more.

To an extent. I think people on here shit on comedy jobbers for no reason. Those guys are important to. For a lot of casual fans, the comedy is their favorite part because the serious aspects of pro wrestling come across as so ridiculous. The comedy guys embrase the ridiculousness of pro wrestling.

 

[James Greiga]

To an extent. I think people on here shit on comedy jobbers for no reason. Those guys are important to. For a lot of casual fans, the comedy is their favorite part because the serious aspects of pro wrestling come across as so ridiculous. The comedy guys embrase the ridiculousness of pro wrestling.

I'm not shitting on comedic wrestlers, I'm shitting on how it destroys legacies. Perfect example is Mark Henry, once he turned face they had him dancing and doing comedy skits. During that time he couldn't win for shit then they turn him heel and he has the Hall of Pain. He was still intimidating but let's be honest he never recovered from that comedic jobber period. Instead of being remembered as the guy who put Batista out of action and faced Undertaker at Wrestlemania, he was remembered for being the guy who lost to a 220 pound Cody Rhodes or The Miz. Same with Goldust. Being reduced to that level ruins careers. Santino is an exception. Well at least he was, I think he's overstayed his welcome and should have been released after he broke away from Beth Phoenix.

 

[Pérez84]

Very underrated, it's true, probably tied with heel/evil Doink the Clown. That gimmicks properly booked could be gold. Good wrestlers portraying bizarre characters = potential top enemies for the top babyfaces.

 

[tjmarrs714]

I've always seen a lot of potential in the Goldust character. The gimmick made him seem like a psycho to me, slightly Norman Bates-ish. Dressing up like a woman and his obsession with gold and spotlight was very interesting. I could easily see him in great feuds with some of the top guys back in the nineties if only he was booked to do so. Just another "what could've been" I guess.

 

[Eddie Menuek]

I think it's a strong overreaction to say that Goldust's career is ruined. He's had a great career, even if much of it has been as a utility worker for WWE. More often or not he makes his opponent looks great and there's a reason why he has, yet again, found his way onto the main roster in a permanent spot. He's surely a future Hall Of Famer and will be remembered fondly by a generation - even those of whom didn't see his first few years with the company.

I'd say that Goldust's gimmick was a gift and a curse, in terms of his career. It was absurd and I'd say that the majority of the roster in 1995 would have fallen really flat with it. The fact that it was such a hit and that it can be talked about as a slice of genius in retrospect is a testament to Dustin Runnels' talents. In that sense I don't think it's underrated at all; maybe not all of today's viewers are aware of how complex the gimmick was in its earlier years, but that's an entirely different thing to underrated. However, I think that the gimmick was so incredibly out of left field that, even in more risque times for the company, it probably prevented Goldust from ever really being a major player in the company. I may be wide of the mark there, but I suspect there would have been something of a stigma of having such a sexual character painted in all gold, competing for the top prize in the company in the elite on a month to month basis, regardless of how well he was executing the gimmick.

Side note: a car chase in the middle of a wrestling match is frankly something that I never wanted to see and never want to see again.

 

[AegonTargaryen]

I'd like to say Goldust from 1996-1997 and all the promos and appearances were brilliant and I'd further assert he's one of the most watchable and entertaining "different" wrestling characters which was only further elevated by the fact that Dustin Runnels was very good in the ring. The thing which hurt Goldust was a reduction in status in the attitude era, his own disgust of his gimmick and either real/kayfabe destroying/burning of Goldust apparel on a Raw Stage in 1998. At one point, Goldust feuded with the likes of Austin, HHH, and The Undertaker and was an IC champ and a good IC champion at that . (Well, better than Santino Marella or Big Show as IC champs anyway).

But I don't think he ever would've won the world title playing the "creepy" character that he did because he was Creepy off-putting whereas Undertaker was Creepy Cool and by 1999 Taker had become such a big name that with stuff like Ministry of Darkness, he was still able to win a championship . As much as I'd want it, somebody who plays a character like Goldust cannot really attain much in pro-wrestling. The real Goldust was dead in 1998. Whatever you saw later was weak efforts to resurrect it but it never felt that good and in 2002 he was nothing but a comic freak who tag-teamed with Booker T.

 

[Aquaman6686]

No, I don't think it was underrated at all. If anything I think it was overrated. Goldust was pushed as a megastar for a good while, and it just didn't click. Goldust never had what it took to be a top star in the wrestling industry. He always has and always will work best in a tag team or lower midcard position. He doesn't have the in-ring skills or the charisma to be a top singles talent.

 

[Catacomb]

i liked goldust but the artist formerly known as goldust was better, imo. i think what killed his momentum was when dustin burned the goldust suit but then instead of getting a big push dustin hurt his knee and eventually the angle was dropped and dustin was relegated to the mid card.

heres a link to the goldust suit burning https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ch2QltZZ7DU

 

[Uncle Sam]

I think it's unfair to divvy Goldust's career up like that. OK, so it has gone in fits and starts, and there have been periods in time when he's been Dustin Rhodes or Black Reign or... something, but he's had this bizarre gimmick for nearly two decades and it's not only lasted but it's worked.

An underrated gimmick, yes.

For a better post on Goldust, and how good Goldust really is, please read Tastycles':

The reason I like Goldust doesn't have anything to do with his in ring abilities, though they are solid. The reason I like him is because he is pretty much the only wrestler who has been active in the last 20 years with a consistent character development. All other wrestlers completely change the way they are when they turn heel or face, but Goldust is still as weird as he ever was, he just emphasises areas of that persona in order to get the right reaction. Also, he doesn't just forget stuff that happened a few years ago, and treat the fans like morons. For example, he still stutters now, following on from actions a few years ago. Weirdly, considering he is a man in gold spray paint, he is one of the only, if not the only, wrestler where I feel like I don't have to dumb down to enjoy him.

http://forums.wrestlezone.com/showthread.php?t=187932

 

[James Greiga]

No, I don't think it was underrated at all. If anything I think it was overrated. Goldust was pushed as a megastar for a good while, and it just didn't click. Goldust never had what it took to be a top star in the wrestling industry. He always has and always will work best in a tag team or lower midcard position. He doesn't have the in-ring skills or the charisma to be a top singles talent.

Just didn't click??? He was the most over heel in the company. He faced guys like Undertaker and Roddy Piper. Of Course he clicked. It was only dropped because the other wrestlers thought he was actually gay and refused to work with him. Idk I guess you just had to be alive during that time to truly understand how huge he was.

No charisma? Did you even read my original post? Did you even watch the links? Come on

 

[nWo2]

No, I don't think it was underrated at all. If anything I think it was overrated. Goldust was pushed as a megastar for a good while, and it just didn't click. Goldust never had what it took to be a top star in the wrestling industry. He always has and always will work best in a tag team or lower midcard position. He doesn't have the in-ring skills or the charisma to be a top singles talent.

FALSE Goldust is one of the most bizzare and original characters in WWE history a gimmick that could never be duplicated and one that Dustin has never found success without. He should have been given WWE title shots back in the 90s, but DEFINETLY as part of the angle with getting Cody's job back he should have upset Orton and faced him for a throwaway match to give him his just due. Its crazy to me to believe he's never been given a title shot!

In the 90s after the match with Piper he was completely over as a heel and probably the #1 or 2 heel on the roster how over he was as heel.

The biggest miscarraige of justice came after he was paired with Booker T and found a comedic flair which we had never seen before hand from him which PROVES he has charisma as a face and his 90s run showed he had charisma as a heel.

I don't see any chinks in Goldust's armor because his gimmick was unique and fresh, he played it well, his promos were incredible, his in-ring ability has never been questioned and his finisher was cutting edge also.

 

[Aquaman6686]

Just didn't click??? He was the most over heel in the company. He faced guys like Undertaker and Roddy Piper. Of Course he clicked. It was only dropped because the other wrestlers thought he was actually gay and refused to work with him. Idk I guess you just had to be alive during that time to truly understand how huge he was.

No charisma? Did you even read my original post? Did you even watch the links? Come on

I've been watching wrestling since I was 3 years old, I was watching wrestling for years before Goldust even debuted. I've seen every one of his gimmick tweaks and every character he's ever done (with the exception of Black Reign, because I don't give a crap about TNA). Dustin is not and was never top draw material. He never clicked as a main eventer. His ring work and mic skills are both mediocre on his best night. Actually, I'd say his current run is easily the best work he's ever done in terms of in-ring ability. Goldust was never a true viable candidate to be a top WWE Superstar.

 

[I Heart Wrestling]

goldust is (IMO) one of the most unique and interesting characters that the wrestling industry has ever produce, he has never been underrated. the thing about goldust,it had never been a character to take him seriously.

 

[Catacomb]

I've been watching wrestling since I was 3 years old, I was watching wrestling for years before Goldust even debuted. I've seen every one of his gimmick tweaks and every character he's ever done (with the exception of Black Reign, because I don't give a crap about TNA). Dustin is not and was never top draw material. He never clicked as a main eventer. His ring work and mic skills are both mediocre on his best night. Actually, I'd say his current run is easily the best work he's ever done in terms of in-ring ability. Goldust was never a true viable candidate to be a top WWE Superstar.

dustin was never given a chance as a main eventer so we will never know if he could "click". whenever goldust worked with a main event level talent the matches were good and the story entertaining (well, except for the match with ultimate warrior) i think what kept dustin out of the main event scene was he never had the big feud. hhh had rock, they both rode each other to the top, savage had hogan, austin had bret, hbk had bret, kane had undertaker but goldust never really had a big feud, the angle with razor had potential but was cut short due to hall

 

[Radical Canadian Goose]

I do believe that the original version of Goldust was pun intended "Gold". Such a wickedly over the top flamboyant character portrayed to perfection by Dustin. Could he have made it as champion? I doubt it. I just believe that the main stream media would have been offended in the mid-late 90s with a character as out there as Goldust. He did well in the upper - midcard back then but there were just too many performers to leapfrog, so I doubt that he would have got a significant shot at the title. On a side note, I believe that he is performing the best matches of his career today

 

[James Greiga]

I do believe that the original version of Goldust was pun intended "Gold". Such a wickedly over the top flamboyant character portrayed to perfection by Dustin. Could he have made it as champion? I doubt it. I just believe that the main stream media would have been offended in the mid-late 90s with a character as out there as Goldust. He did well in the upper - midcard back then but there were just too many performers to leapfrog, so I doubt that he would have got a significant shot at the title. On a side note, I believe that he is performing the best matches of his career today

Too many performers to leap frog? Actually not as many as you'd think. He was already over upon debut but really took off after his Piper feud in 1996. It was that year that Hall and Nash left. Undertaker rarely held titles, HHH and Austin werent main eventers yet and the only real main eventers left were Bret and HBK. I guess maybe Sid too towards the end but it wasnt like in the Attitude era where there was Undertaker, Mankind, HHH, Rock, Austin, Kane, and Big Show all in the main event picture. As for making it as a champion I think he could have. If WWF made him a champion there would have been a media backlash. How many times has there been media backlashes for WWE? Think about it. Undertaker had a group of guys who worshiped Satan and sacrificed people live on television. They had an angle where Vince claimed to be bigger than God. Heidenreich raped Michael Cole in one segment and does anyone remember Katie Vick? When it comes to storyline, Vince does not care how much media attention he gets. With storylines, any publicity is good publicity to him.